NTPC has issued an invitation for bids regarding the operation and maintenance (O&M) responsibilities of a 23.3 MW grid-connected solar power project located in Solapur. The contract duration for this project is set at twenty-four months.

Interested parties must submit their bids by July 20, 2023, with bid opening taking place on the same day.

The scope of work for the selected bidder will encompass the supervision, upkeep, and cleanliness of the entire solar PV facility, which comprises three separate blocks. Block-1 and Block-2 possess a capacity of 10 MW each, while Block-3 has a capacity of 3.3 MW.

Currently, only Block-2, with a capacity of 10 MW, has been commissioned. The remaining two blocks are scheduled for installation and commissioning in the near future.

To participate, bidders are required to submit an earnest money deposit of Rs 2 million ($24,212). Upon successful bidding, the selected contractors must furnish a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 10 per cent of the contracted amount.

In order to be eligible, bidders must have previously completed the installation, commissioning, or operation and maintenance of a grid-connected solar project with a capacity of at least 5 MW within the seven years preceding the techno-commercial bid opening.

Additionally, bidders should possess experience in executing various tasks related to the supply, erection, commissioning, maintenance, and operation of equipment such as inverters and solar modules for solar power projects. The executed projects must meet the following criteria:

1. Execution of a single order valued at no less than Rs 8.2 million ($99,282), or

2. Execution of two orders, each valued at no less than Rs 5.1 million ($61,752), or

3. Execution of three orders, each valued at no less than Rs 4.1 million ($49,644).

Furthermore, bidders must demonstrate an average annual turnover of at least Rs 10.2 million ($123,507) over the preceding three financial years.

In recent developments, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC, has called for bids from enlisted developers to establish a 1.5 MW grid-connected solar power project at IIM Bodh Gaya.

Additionally, NTPC Renewable Energy, another wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, has reissued a tender for the supply of battery energy storage systems to be used in solar power projects at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park in the Kutch region of Gujarat.